FORMULA 1 2018 HONDA JAPANESE GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING *** SPOILERS ***

Clearly now more than ever there really isn’t a single hero in F1. You got to have the car, the driver, and the team. I’m so sick of Merc and Lewis rising to the top with their arrogant, smug pusses on camera and the snarky sound bites ... but hell... they have it down. An unending, unrelenting drive to win shared by everyone. They make their own luck...they never stop developing and are unabashedly on the edge of sportsmanship at times even ... all for the sole purpose of winning.

When the whole of spectators are screaming “what are you guys doing” during any number of strategic blunders, Ferrari can’t say there was good reason or “we would have been hero’s had it worked” ... when maybe just once or twice it actually did work in their favor.

It seems Ferrari thinks being Ferrari is good enough for a few tenths all it’s own.

 

Both drivers Kimi and Vettel had a chance to get on the front row, even the track was actually better for them, than when Lewis and Bottas ran...it takes two the team and the drivers, to get it right!.

Watch https://streamable.com/6pdch

 

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Sound familiar? A bunch of Italians screwing up a lot. With some occasional help from a German & Finn. They have the tools & opportunities, but not the knowhow to put it all together at the right time consistently.

 

Ferrari got it wrong again. And then Vettel screwed up.

Ciao Mondiale.

Just pathetic. From A to Z. Take down the bells in Maranello, there won't be a need to ring them again.

 

hahahaha Ferrari strategy, Vettel spinning and twirling off all over the place hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

/thread

hahahahahahaha

 

The Ferrari strategists' parking lot at Suzuka:


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Ouch

 

Max Verstappen threw some shade as he argued the fact that it was no longer a battle for the World Championship.

The Dutchman qualified in P3 for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix after Ferrari’s failings on strategy, once more.

He was asked by David Coulthard as to whether he would get in the way of a Championship battle, should the Ferraris come through the field. His response:

“Is it still a battle? I’m not sure?”

With Sebastian Vettel 50 points behind the Championship leader, Lewis Hamilton, and now starting the Japanese Grand Prix from P9 to the Brit’s pole position, maybe he has a point…

 

Is that you Bernie?

BTW, how are the all-Brit teams at Williams and McLaren doing? Merc seem pretty happy with their Italian chief designer or the engine guy they poached from Ferrari. Also their fuel supplier in Italy.

If some of individual(s) are in the wrong place (like the team principle, for example) no need to attack a whole ethnic group. And besides isn't Brit Jock Clear part of the strategy brain trust.

Imagine making a comment like there are too many of Elton's kind in a team....

 

A Nicely avoided answer by Max ..

 

A) I'm part Italian.
B) Done in humor
C) Pointing out the level of ineptitude in decision making throughout the bulk of this season & last.

They wasted 5 yrs of Alonso's career with bad cars, not quite good enough cars, & bad decision making (stuck behind Petrov).

It now appears that Vettel is wasting their 2 yrs of a really good car (at least at crucial times) & on the occasions he doesn't, they manage to shoot themselves in the foot. Hence my post & the book title.

Jeopardy answer:

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What is Scuderia Ferrari not good at?

 

2 x DNF's from Ham 2 x wins from Vettel put's it all square ...unlikely but F1 never ceases to surprise me.

 

Excellent idea we create a "Go Fund Me" page to bribe the FIA, pay off Mercedes team members to sabotage the car...... I am sure there are a few disgruntled workers at the factory

 

You'll recall that the strategist in charge of the Alonso debacle was canned after that race... and he wasn't Italian.

The problem is not nationality it's the qualification of the the leadership, i.e., no racing experience. See also Domenicali.

 

Having said that, if I was a betting man, I'd have to put it all on Little Elton. And that includes NEXT year. I may not even watch F1 until the end of this year if this level of fail continues, however.

I wish Elton would become a "fashion" designer or rapper or something.

 

It's ok they will just light up another Marlboro ,then it will not seem too bad .

 

That’s what I do, but even when I get to the 20th Marlboro, it doesn’t taste any sweeter... I think you’d need to be smoking crack or crystal meth to get over our lacklustre performances of late

 

Today and for the rest of the season. He doesn't even have to work hard to cruise to the championship now.


The season ended in Germany.

 

Just watch Hamilton post-qualy interviews, he's completely mellowed out and talking like as if he has already won, which is true. He even made a unusual factory visit between races which in all the years w Mercedes he has NEVER done.

Game over, see y'all next year.

 

I noticed that. But he's right.

 

I’m just watching for the pure comedy now.

 

The fact is that the Scuderia Ferrari are the second best team and are in second place. They’ll more than likely finish that way which is exactly what they’ve earned and what they deserve. The team AND the lead driver have let themselves down. Arguably if they had given Raikkonen the same support and equipment as Vettel he may have won the championship. He has been more consistent than Vettel and on multiple occasions genuinely faster than Vettel.

 

I understand, but it Will never happen...…

 

I can just about envisage it - down to the last race - Hamilton breaks down on the parade lap - but Seb tangles with Kimi on the first lap - comes in for a new nose from 19th place and rejoins wearing full wets in the Abu Dhabi desert

Best,
Sammy

 

In reality it ended in Baku. I called it at the time and was called a naysayer. I will try to get my posts from the Baku race and copy them here